In Tempus Linea
by fReeDreaMs4all
Summary: Hermione, Luna and Pansy, seasoned warriors still fighting after all that could go wrong has gone wrong, attempt to change their world and prevent such a bleak future. See if they manage to kill Voldemort, befriend the Marauders & co., and find love. Time travel. HG/RL LL/SS PP/SB LE/JP. . My first fic so please help me out by reviewing!
1. Chapter 1

When Pansy Parkinson was younger, she had an idealistic vision of what her grown-up life would be like. She would be married to a rich pureblood, reside in a huge manor, and live each day without a care in the world. And for many years, anyone would have agreed that such a future would probably be her fate. That was, until the day everything changed. The day her world came crashing down around her and life became a harsh reality that required her abrupt cooperation. The day her once best friend and longtime childhood love Draco Malfoy died by the hand of the man he had been ordered to serve was the day Pansy lost her will. She had felt Draco becoming more and more distant from her as time passed but carried on as usual after sensing that he was desperate for some semblance of normality. She continued to play her part as the cruel Slytherin queen, even as it became more and more tiresome, and took his snide remarks in stride only hoping that a time would come when he was happy again, even if it was not with her. So when he was killed the day after the Battle of Hogwarts, she was shaken to the core before slipping easily into a shocked state of numbness. She had based her entire existence around this boy, her childhood friend, and now he was suddenly gone. Pansy had not been present for the battle, so she didn't even know the events that led to Draco's demise; the only real news she had heard was that almost all of the "Light's" side, as they called themselves, had perished after the Dark Lord had retreated from the scene, even the supposed Chosen One Harry Potter himself. Pansy wasn't entirely surprised by the Dark's victory in the battle because the Light had the disadvantage of having inexperienced witches and wizards constantly in need of protecting. She had heard that many of the adults had perished as a result of being distracted from their own battles by the battles taking place around people they cared about. Apparently, Harry Potter's own death was caused by his Gryffindor stupidity when he threw himself in front of Hermione Granger, taking a fatal curse in her place. This was all hearsay of course, but Pansy was surprised when upon first hearing this she did not feel a Slytherin's contempt but a strange admiration of the kind of love that caused one to value another's life to such an extent over one's own. She wondered if she would ever be loved like that. And then all ponderings were cut short the following day when the Dark Lord took the light out of her life. She never learned what it was that Draco had done to justify such an action but it hardly mattered. There was no stopping the Dark Lord. Pansy went into a haze after that day; it was as if her entire identity had been wiped away and she simply didn't know what to do with herself anymore. She had been staying at the Dark Lord's base of operations the day Draco was killed and was thus made into plaything by the Dark Lord. He treated her like a pet and lent her out to Death Eaters that pleased him. All the while, Pansy never spoke, never showed an inkling of being present mentally. She only ate and slept because the house elves insisted on it. Every day she merely did what she was told and mechanically went through life like a robot, taking the abuse of maniacs and killers.

"That's what I like about you, Kitty," the Dark Lord had told her one-day while she sat at his feet like a good pet, "you don't make trouble, you're obedient, and above all you're quiet. It just makes me want to mess with you all the more." He had chuckled darkly after stating this and pushed her face first onto the floor where she laid until finally being told get up and follow after some random Death Eater he wanted her to entertain.

She had thought life would continue on like this forever until she finally got permission from the Dark Lord to die. That was, until one fateful day a few years later. She had been walking down one of the hallways of the mansion the Dark Lord had claimed for himself after hearing some rumors that two very important war prisoners had been captured. She had not given it too much thought because she never gave anything much thought anymore. That was until she had passed by a secluded part of the house and heard muffled shouting. Without much conviction, she had approached the noise and silently cast a transparency spell on the door. Not talking for so long had greatly improved her nonverbal magic, if only to perform menial tasks she did not physically or mentally have the energy to do her self.

Upon approaching the now transparent-on-one-side door, she was greeted with the rather disturbing scene of one of the higher up Death Eaters pinning down a girl while another girl was forced to watch from her tied up position off to the side. While realizing in some part of her brain that she was witnessing rape and it was horrible and she should do something, the numbness Pansy had cultivated over the years rooted her in place. She stared into the room, digging through her clouded mind to try and figure out why these two girls looked familiar. And then in a rush it hit her: Hogwarts. They both went to Hogwarts with her. She couldn't get a good look at the one on the bed because of the big lug blocking her view but the one in the chair looked like an older version of that crazy Ravenclaw girl that had always seemed to be missing her shoes. Pansy guessed she must have been one of the survivors of the Battle of Hogwarts and had continued fighting since then until finally being captured. She was mildly surprised, despite her numbness, that the girl had so much conviction despite her rather wishy-washy appearance.

Before Pansy could observe the batty girl any longer, her attention was once again caught by the struggle taking place on the bed. The girl, who had apparently been the one shouting earlier, was now in complete view and had adopted an expression of pure loathing and utter contempt, but that was not what made Pansy catch her breath. It was what the girl said in such a steely voice that held inexplicable strength despite her situation.

"Is that all you've got, Scum?" she ground out without an ounce of self-pity.

Pansy stared at the determined face of the girl for what seemed like forever. It was Hermione Granger and yet it wasn't. She had changed. The frizzy-haired bookworm who dutifully followed behind her two best friends was nowhere to be seen. Instead, a hardened soldier lay in her place, determined to survive no matter what happened to her. It was that power of will that finally shook Pansy to the core. She felt something for the first time in years and it almost undid her. The pain of everything that had happened washed over her at once, crippling her down to the ground in front of the door, sinking her deep into a state of chaos as all of her forgotten feelings rushed through her body in painful realization. Just as she thought the suffering was too much for her, that she'd rather die than continue like this for another second, Hermione Granger's face sprung up before her eyes once more. It was an angry face. A face that seemed to say, "what gives you the right to give up? You tortured me for years and I've never given up. Not even now when the unspeakable is happening to me." They stared at each other in Pansy's mind for what seemed like forever before Pansy realized that suddenly she was feeling something other than pain. She was feeling anger. Anger at being treated like an animal for four years, anger a the "scum" who didn't need permission to do what he pleased to women, anger at the Dark Lord for all of his sins, anger at Draco for dying, and most of all anger at herself for letting all of it happen, for not fighting back. She had never been so angry in her life and the realization that she had a right to be angry was liberating. She suddenly felt lighter than she ever had before and she almost giggled from the strange high. Almost. She was slowly regaining her senses, recovering from the strange rebirthing she had undergone when the door in front of her suddenly opened. She froze in her place on the ground as the large hulk of a Death Eater placed two wands in a drawer next to the wall before casually stepping over her limp form and calling back tauntingly, "Now, now Kitty, I know you enjoy playing dead but try to avoid blocking people's walkways. You may be the Dark Lord's pet but that doesn't justify getting in people's way." Pansy didn't respond to the provocation, realizing that reacting would give her newly acquired sense of awareness away. She _was_ prone to lying down in random places after all. It was no wonder he had not been at all suspicious of her. It was this realization that she had almost literally become invisible as a threat that had set Pansy's mind to planning in a way that had not been possible previously. She had been so apathetic before that no one had ever bothered to even take her wand away from her or restrict her movements around the mansion. She was a ghost. The gears in her head spun quickly as she slowly sat up, her body damp from her earlier metamorphosis. She looked around her to see if anyone was present in the now empty corridor before quickly making a grab for the wands that scum had just deposited in the drawer moments before. She slid them down the front of her corset in case anyone should happen upon her and then turned back toward the door. Both girls were now tied up at opposite ends of the room facing each other but neither one spoke. They merely stared at one another as if having a silent conversation. Pansy knew what she was about to do was rash but for once if her life, she wanted to try being a Gryffindor. She had planned out the escape in her mind of course, she wasn't _that_ rash, but she had never taken a risk like this before. She knew, though, she couldn't go back to how things had been. In those few minutes of torture, she had become a new person. An angry person, but a new one. With a determination modeled after what she had witnessed on Hermione Granger's face, she got up and threw open the door.


	2. Chapter 2

Pansy had been with them ever since she instigated their escape from Voldemort's headquarters six years previously. Hermione had been distrustful of her at first, this was the girl that had gone out of her way to insult them at Hogwarts after all, but Luna had insisted that Pansy was a good person and would stand by them from now on, which was really all Hermione needed to hear seeing as Luna had always had the most mysterious way of getting to the heart of any creature and understanding it. After years of battling beside the girl, Hermione had finally come to trust Luna's instincts. When she had at last come to this conclusion, she asked Luna if all of the whimsical sounding creatures she had always talked about actually existed. The reply had been rather interesting. "Oh yes, of course they do. Daddy was the one to name the creatures that I sensed from my earlier childhood but they are very much real, living organisms. However I am willingly to admit that I went along with some of what Daddy said for his sake, that horn in our house was quite obviously not of the crumple-horned snorkack, but I can quite readily assure you that he nor I invented any of the animals I've spoken with you about over the years."

Luna's infallible instincts aside, there are just some things you can't go through without becoming friends afterwards. Fending off a troll being one, and escaping Lord Voldemort's home under his very nose another. Hermione wondered at the time just what life had been like for Pansy before helping them escape because it had been almost too easy to just walk out of the Death Eater infested nest. Pansy had simply flung open the door to the room they were being held captive, passed them their wands after quickly releasing their bindings, cast a surprisingly strong disillusionment charm on Luna and Hermione, and then calmly levitated them both in the air and dragged them behind her because Pansy had apparently realized that neither of them would be able to walk directly after being tortured. It was awhile before Hermione realized that Pansy had also cast several other advanced spells to disguise the two prisoners from detection. She seemed to be rather gifted in this particular area of magic.

What had set Hermione to wondering, however, was the fact that Pansy had cast no spell on herself; apparently opting to walk lifelessly through the hallways without acknowledging anyone she passed by. The weird part was that no one seemed to take any notice of her. She was simply ignored or occasionally sneered at as she passed by people. Hermione had at one time thought Pansy had been allied with the Dark. It wasn't until later, while hiding out in the forest before they were able to locate the Light's troops that Hermione learned the truth. Pansy was certainly not overly forthcoming when they first escaped but from what Hermione could deduce at the time, she had been staying there without any will to live after Draco died and had only found that will again after witnessing what was happening to Luna and Hermione. After that, Hermione and Luna slowly found out about the various horrors that had been done to her in that house and the three had bonded in a way that only people with similar experiences and a common goal can. They been hurt and had felt lost and most of all wanted Voldemort dead.

Hermione knew she had hardened since her schoolgirl days, she even knew the exact moment when it had happened. Her heart had cracked as she watched the light slowly leave her best friend's eyes only after leaving all of his memories to her in a single tear. That night she had slowly watched all of the people closest to her fall one by one, each taking a piece of her soul with them. She thought she would die when she saw her childhood love Ron Weasley fall to the ground after taking out five Death Eaters on his own. The last straw had been when Harry, always the foolhardy Gryffindor, had jumped in front of the dark curse aimed at Hermione's back after she had just taken down her opponent. She had been crying uncontrollably as she held him, finally letting the gravity of all the death way down on her, and had watched as Harry slowly disintegrated away into a skeleton after telling Hermione that he loved her and that she had to take his memories and live on. She had nodded numbly, the battle dying down around her as the Death Eaters began retreating on Voldemort's command. The last of the Light had started to gravitate toward the form that had once been their guiding symbol of good before the last of Harry's body wisped away into nothingness. Without anything left to hold, Hermione had been tempted to dissolve into a state of hysterics; but it had been Luna that appeared at her side and taken her into a forceful hug. She whispered in Hermione's ear, "Honor Harry's memory, Hermione. You must lead us now." Hermione felt a jolt at her words and raised her head to gaze at the young faces that remained, the more seasoned fighters having fallen while protecting the inexperienced. She pulled away from Luna slowly, looking at her naturally dazed expression, and suddenly knew that what Hermione had always thought was silliness and a touch of insanity was actually a girl with incredible strength and understanding. Hermione nodded her head in respect to Luna, making the girl widen the smile she always had on her face, before rising slowly to her feet.

"We will never stop fighting," she had whispered so that everyone surrounding her had to strain to hear her. She raised her voice and said clearly, "Harry would want us to live on and fight for whatever it is we believe in. I don't know about all of you, but I still believe in goodness and love. I still believe in the Light. And I know that as long as I continue to draw breath, I will fight for that love. I could never expect any of you to fight with me after the loss we've experienced today. I will never be able to replace Harry Potter or Dumbledore or any of the other beautiful, brilliant people who have died by the power of that evil man while defending that love. But I can bloody well promise you this: should you choose to stand beside me, I will finish what they started and I will give everything I have in me to see Voldermort pay for the pain he has caused us all!" Her voice had steadily risen throughout the impromptu speech and, miraculously, so had the spirits of her comrades. They cheered for her as she led them away from the death and rubble of Hogwarts and into the Forbidden Forest.

The Resistance, as they had taken to calling themselves after it was clear that Voldemort now had control of the magical world, had been fighting ever since. Hermione had thrown her genius level mind into every field of study that might help their cause and devoted all of the rest of her time to training physically and magically while still planning out strategies and procedures. The Resistance had followed her lead unquestioningly since the day of the Battle of Hogwarts. They all seemed to realize the change that had occurred in Hermione in that moment after Harry's death. She had lost her innocence and her guiding light in one fail swoop, leaving her with no choice but to rise to the occasion and become the strength of others. Leadership actually suited her well once she'd acquired the confidence and the others had no doubts as to the question of her magical skills. She was the most brilliant magical being since Dumbledore.

Hermione had lead them well for four years with Luna as her second, a surprising twist for people who had known them at Hogwarts, but it was the day they returned to the camp with Pansy Parkinson in tow, all three beaten and broken but not defeated, that the dynamic amongst the girls seemed to shift. It was like a puzzle piece was clicked into place that they hadn't been aware of needing. Hermione was the leader with the brains, Luna the healer with the instincts, and Pansy the illusionist with perspective. Hermione ran all their operations and had a strong presence in training. Pansy, they were soon to discover, had a talent in the field of spy work, for she was able to create powerful illusions and barriers, while still continually challenging those around her. Luna was an entity all her own. What many people had thought was a daft girl who had no idea what was going on around her was actually an extremely gifted individual specifically tuned to living creatures. She had taken to Legilimency like a fish to water and was astoundingly talented at brewing and creating potions that aided the wounded and sick. She was aware of everything taking place around her while appearing to not be aware of anything at all and was able to sense what a creature, be it human or other, needed or felt without having to ask.

Together, the three brought a kind of hope back to the Resistance that was cherished beyond measure by the warriors; for if these three totally different girls could come together after what they had been through and fight as they did, there had to be a possibility that everything would work out in the end. This hope had still been alive until the last raid, where the Resistance had been ambushed by a horde of Death Eaters. It had been a set-up. They had gotten false information of Voldemort's newest whereabouts and were swarmed during their "surprise" attack. Hermione had been fighting like a madwoman for thirty minutes straight while each Death Eater she took down in the circle surrounding her was replaced one after another. As the crowd of black began to thin slightly, Hermione cast her gaze around for survivors and was horrified to realize that the only people left standing out of the whole of the Resistance were Luna and Pansy, and only because Pansy had erected an awe-inspiring shield around Luna and herself, effectively separating them from the encroaching Death Eaters while Luna attempted to pick them off one at a time. Hermione was devastated but realized that the three of them need to retreat, so without ceremony she thrust herself toward Pansy and Luna while calling out their names. Luna, upon connecting eyes with Hermione knew exactly what her plan was and quickly whispered it to Pansy. In that second, Hermione smashed her hands together with a thunderous clap and black smoke encompassed the entire area. A moment later Hermione felt a small hand clasp her own and then the familiar sensation of apparition.

Moments later, all three collapsed on the leafy floor of what could only be the Forbidden Forest, no doubt Luna's doing as she had always had a particular love for this forest. The sense of loss was starting to weigh heavy on Hermione as she realized that she had failed them all. She had once again let people she cared about die. Just as she was about to sink deeper into depression, she was engulfed in a hug similar to the one she had received after Harry's death.

"Hermione, you know I know what you're doing right now and I really must ask you to stop. This is not your fault. I will not see you depressed. We must not lose hope," Luna intoned to her in the wispiest of voices that somehow seemed to still come off as strong and wise.

"Luna. There is no hope. Everyone but us is dead. I've let them all die. I've let Harry down. It's over," Hermione said almost lifelessly.

"Don't you say that Granger!" Pansy suddenly yelled. Hermione's head snapped up at her tone to see a desperate and angry expression on the pretty girl's hard face. "Don't you ever say that it's over! Not after you forcefully wretched me from my state of oblivion with that bloody fighting spirit of yours. Not after you gave me cause to hope. I will not have it! You're the last person that is ever supposed to give up and you owe it to me and everyone else to keeping fighting until the end," Pansy finished in a shrill voice that the girls hadn't heard her use since their Hogwarts days. Hermione was taken aback. She'd had no idea she'd been such an influence on Pansy. But as she stared at the black haired girl in front of her that was trying desperately not to cry, Hermione realized that it was too selfish to give up. She had made a promise to fight until she drew her very last breath. And Hermione Granger always kept her promises. Well, the ones that mattered anyway.

Hermione cocked her head upwards and to the side to look Pansy in the eye. "I was just testing you, love," she sang out with exaggerated bravado before grinning at the now stunned girl. A smile of her own slowly crept over Pansy's face as she watched Hermione realign herself right before Pansy's very eyes. This is why Pansy had chosen to follow Hermione Granger. Not because she was incredibly powerful, not because she was a genius, and definitely not because she had the qualities of a true Gryffindor combined with a surprising amount of cunning; though of course she was all of these things. No, it was because Hermione Granger was a survivor and a protector. Pansy had felt it every moment since she had joined Granger's little Resistance. The girl was fierce. And Pansy had made it her goal to become just as mentally strong so as not to lose herself again. She would never tell Granger this, but she had become a sort of role model for Pansy.

"I hate to interrupt you're truly endearing thought processes but I believe we have a visitor who has come to aid us," Luna suddenly stated dreamily, indicating the approaching form of an unknown horse-shaped figure. Neither of the girls blushed at the knowledge of Luna's awareness of their deliberations, both had grown used to the strange girl's way of speaking and had come to just accept that sweet little Luna knows everything, even if she doesn't always bring it up out loud. It was simply just what came with being around Luna; the girl couldn't even help it that people's thoughts and feelings laid themselves out in front of her, any more that she could help the fact that most of those people would never understand her in return. Hermione and Pansy did though, to the extent that is was possible to understand Luna Lovegood anyway.

Hermione rose to her feet and turned toward the centaur, Luna and Pansy naturally falling into position on either side of her: Luna to the left and Pansy to the right. She felt no threat from the approaching figure, Luna's instincts were always spot on, but she was always wary of situations that seemed to be born of coincidence, namely because in Hermione's experience there was no such thing as coincidence.

"Hello Hermione Granger, Pansy Parkinson, and Luna Lovegood. It has been many years and you would not remember me. I am Lithos and I once fought alongside you at Hogwarts," stated the centaur that had appeared before them.

Hermione knew she could not remember many of the details of that particular day so she merely bowed her head in respect and indicated for him to continue.

"Please take a walk with me as I discuss matters of great importance with you," the centaur proclaimed in what seemed like more of a demand then an invitation. Hermione decided to follow him anyway. Luna had said he had come to help them.

"Now," Lithos began, "as you may well know, it is not of the centaurs' nature to involve ourselves in the comings and goings of humankind. However, like with the battle six years ago, the time has come again for us to not only offer assistance, but to place you three on the path to your destinies."

"You mean the centaurs are really going to help us? I had thought all the centaurs had retreated back into the forests in order to separate themselves from humanity once again," Hermione couldn't help but question.

"Ah, but Hermione Granger this is an entirely different matter altogether from the estrangement between centaurs and humans. This course of action has been written in the stars. It is the path that will in truth, save the world," Lithos informed her casually, as if he wasn't speaking about the fate of all their lives and the lives to come.

Hermione turned her head to the left to look at Luna, who simply smiled back as if the world was right again. And maybe it _was_ going to be all right. Was Hermione allowed to even hope for such a thing? For surely the world could never be right again without her precious loved ones. That was just asking too much. Still, she followed after the mysterious centaur with a practiced gait while Pansy and Luna trailed slightly behind. She had learned long ago not to simply brush aside possibilities just because she herself had no prior knowledge of them. Her previous years with Harry and her recent years with Luna had gone a long way in teaching her that.

Before long, Hermione began to sense a strange presence of magic that she couldn't quite dissect. The further they walked the heavier it seemed to get and the air itself appeared to turn brighter, shinier. Hermione all at once realized that they must be entering the centaur colony and the magical aura she was feeling was the natural protection created to shield their home. Hermione wondered vaguely if they were the first humans to actually enter into the centaurs' sacred ground. They were certainly gaining plenty of stares from centaurs that seemed to materialize out of nowhere.

"Brothers, Sisters," Lithos suddenly called, "I have brought the witches to read the Tome. Let us pass peacefully." Apparently not all of the centaurs were happy with the decision to allow the girls entrance, however Lithos seemed nonplussed and plowed forward on his four brown legs toward a huge tree in the middle of the colony. The girls followed silently, slightly awed by the size of the tree and the ancient magic emanating from it. It was so heavy they could feel the aura of it tingling their skin as they approached. Upon reaching what appeared to be a large door carved into the tree, Lithos turned around to face the witches once more.

"The answers you seek lie beyond this door, within the Tome of our forefathers. Long ago, centaurs wielded less natural forms of magic and recorded their findings in the Tome. It has since been forbidden for any centaur to read it, for the words breed corruption to our pure way of life."

Pansy suddenly piped up, "If you don't' read it, why do you keep it around?"

"Because, Pansy Parkinson, centaurs do not act without purpose and such was the case with our forefathers. The book has been used by outcasts and outsiders alike throughout the history of the world, depending on what the stars would foretell. We are merely the keepers of it," Lithos responded seriously.

Hermione wondered at the irony of waiting around for stars to tell you when you are allowed to bring someone home to read an ancient book that you have been forbidden to even read yourself. However, out of respect for their customs, Hermione did not voice these speculations out loud. It was another lesson she had learned over time; don't try to tell people how to live their lives.

"We thank you immensely for your help Lithos. We will do our best with the book," Hermione told Lithos politely.

"There is no need to thank me Hermione Granger, I merely followed the stars. I wish you luck in your endeavors though. You all seem very decent for humans."

As Hermione smiled and turned toward the door, she heard Luna whisper to Lithos, "Goodbye new friend. And good luck with the others."

The three girls opened the wide door warily and stepped inside to a magically lit interior where a large book lay unceremoniously on the bark ground of the hollowed out tree. The three girls encircled the book and plopped to the ground to take a look.

"This book is huge and we don't even know what we're looking for," Hermoine speculated without making a move to touch the Tome.

"If I may, Hermione," Luna began in that unassuming voice of hers. She waited for Hermione to nod before delicately lifting the mass of book and placing it solidly in her lap. Pansy and Hermione looked on with interest, wondering what exactly Luna was planning to do. Luna stared at the volume in front of her respectfully before raising one hand into the air dramatically and slamming it back down with a precise incision that opened the book to a seemingly random page.

Hermione could almost hear the cricket chirping as she and Pansy stared at their innocent looking best friend.

"Um Luna?" Hermione began, "What was that?"

Luna just gazed back at Hermione evenly and replied, "well, we've got to start somewhere."

Pansy's jaw dropped to inexplicable lengths before she burst into laughter. "You…," she heaved in between laughs, "are so…. random Luna…. it's hilarious! What was with that hand chopping movement? Why….? I don't even…"

While Pansy was left to get ahold of her self, Hermione gently lifted the book off of Luna's lap being careful to keep it opened to the place she had karate chopped. Hermione was also grinning, a feat Hermione felt could only attest further to her hypothesis that Luna was not in fact human but actually some sort of happy alien that spread laughter wherever she went. That or she was just so attuned to people's personalities that she knew what was needed to make them smile. Hermione was still smiling at Pansy's hysterics in the background as she looked down at the page to which Luna had opened the book. And then her heart skipped a beat. This…

"Guys," she said in such a hopeful voice that Pansy's laughter was immediately stilled and both she and Luna quickly gathered themselves behind Hermione in order to read the ancient runes over her shoulder.

"This is…" Pansy began in awed tones.

"A time-travel potion," Luna finished gravely.


	3. Chapter 3

It had taken the girls a couple of days to procure all of the ingredients listed in the book and a few more to successfully brew it. They already had most of their supplies as each girl carried a bag with an Undetectable Extension Charm and Featherweight Charm on it containing all of their gear, money, books in Hermione's case, ready-brewed potions in Luna's case, and of course their clothes and photos.

Luna had taken care of the brewing naturally while Hermione, who had a more extensive knowledge of ancient runes, read from the book aloud. Hermione and Pansy were both excellent potion brewers, but Luna had a natural talent for it that Hermione could only liken to the abilities of their old Potions Master Severus Snape.

She had managed this potion remarkably fast despite its complexity and they were just about ready to make the leap.

"I do hope we'll have long hair when we wake up," Luna suddenly commented dreamily. It was a random statement to make at a time like this but Hermione and Pansy both knew that Luna missed her long hair because of the connection it had formed with her mother, who had apparently always loved her daughter's long hair. The girls had all cut their hair into pixie cuts during the height of the war to make their identities less obvious and for convenience's sake. The time-travelling potion was theorized in the book as having a rebirthing sort of effect. It stated that the user would be eradicating her entire existence in whatever timeline she was attempting to leave and would awake in another part of the timeline with a body reflecting one's inner image or what some referred to as one's soul. This worried Hermione in other ways than hair length, however. Hermione was too focused on the word "soul" when reading the text and worried endlessly that she might be reborn looking like the murderer she had come to be since the war had truly started. She feared her soul was not as clean as it had been in her youth and she dreaded the thought of seeing a visual representation of that shift.

"Luna, let's not worry about cosmetics while we're still trying to just make the potion work in the first place," Hermione heard Pansy tell Luna gently. Hermione somehow felt like the statement was directed at her as well and put aside her dark thoughts for now.

"Alright girls, wand hands out please," Luna suddenly announced. Pansy and Hermione quickly complied before Luna abruptly cut each of their palms with a quick slash of her wand. She did the same to her own wand hand before telling them to quickly wrap the bleeding hand around their wands. All three girls soaked their wands in their own blood before dropping them unceremoniously into the cauldron.

"Alright now say the words together," Luna intoned.

"_Noster sanguis natus iterum in tempus linea,_" they chanted strongly together and upon finishing the last syllable felt the distinct sensation of the world turning black.


	4. Chapter 4

Hermoine was woken by the unusually bright light of the sun shining trough one of the rare gaps in the Forbidden Forest's thick canopy, hitting her directly on the face. In her still groggy state she suddenly felt as if something was very off. The atmosphere around her was not nearly as heavy as the one she had grown accustomed to and her body felt strangely light. She snapped her eyes open, worried that they were under some sort of strange new attack. But when her vision returned to her, all she saw was Luna and Pansy beginning to sit up from their own positions on the grassy ground. Until she did a double take. It was definitely Luna and Pansy but they were different. They were…. young. Not that any of them had been _old_ at twenty-eight but fighting a losing war for a decade begins to take its toll after awhile. But these versions of her two best friends were no more than sixteen years old. Not only were they younger looking, they seemed brighter somehow, Luna's crystal blue eyes were positively glowing while Pansy's dark green eyes looked like gemstones the way they were reflecting the light. Their hair was also inexplicably grown out down to their waists. That was what did it for Hermione, what brought back the past couple of days to the forefront of her mind. The time-travel potion. This must be the rebirthing process the book had described and Luna had really gotten her long hair back. Which could only mean…

"Luna, Pansy, I think we did it," Hermione uttered amazedly.

The girls both turned their attention to Hermione before widening their eyes slightly. Luna began smiling at Hermione triumphantly and Pansy seemed to be attempting not to giggle.

"What?" Hermione asked in confusion. This was a world altering development. Why weren't they celebrating that the book hadn't simply killed them and appeared to have actually sent them back in time?

"Uh…" Pansy chuckled out.

"Your hair looks absolutely lovely Hermione. I always knew those curls would look beautiful at this length," Luna suddenly spoke up.

Hermione stared at the blonde-headed girl that in this form reminded her of her earlier years at Hogwarts in the DA. Long Hair? Pansy seemed to have read her mind and wandlessly summoned a full-length mirror from her small bag. Hermione only took a moment to wonder why Pansy bothered to carry around such a uselessly large mirror before inspecting herself in it.

The girl that looked back at Hermione was around sixteen and had expressive amber eyes that were shining with more light than Hermione remembered her own eyes ever having. In fact they looked brighter than what could be considered normal. But what really startled the witch was the fact this girl was also sporting waist-length hair. The only difference being that her small frame was practically engulfed by the endless masses of curls that sprung from every bit of her head. Hermione would have felt sorry for the girl for having hair that swallowed her if she hadn't realized that the teenager was in fact herself. She looked fresher than she had at Hogwarts and, she was loath to admit, prettier. The brighter tone to her eyes was striking and her hair was shinier and lacking the frizz it had once possessed. She also registered the fact that she did not look inherently like a murderer, as she had previously feared. Still, this would not do.

"Okay, I want to know why my sensible haircut has been turned into a cascading wreck of coils that I will most certainly never be able to manage?" Hermione asked pointedly looking at Luna. Pansy snorted louder, obviously anticipating this reaction.

Luna, smiling serenely, replied, "Perhaps since we performed the potion together all of our self images and our images of each other were used in the formation of our new bodies. Personally, I think this hairstyle suits your personality much better. It has character."

Hermione rolled her eyes. Yeah, character. This was obviously Luna's doing. _Luna's_ hair looked similar to how it had at Hogwarts, with soft, wispy waves flowing down her back into pretty curls at the bottom. At the same time, Pansy's hair was a length Hermione had never seen it but she found that with her shiny, straight black hair and choppy bangs that just brushed her eyelids it quite suited her. Hermione just couldn't get over that she would have to deal with curls again; frizzy or not, they got seriously heavy and slowed down her reaction time.

"Oh stop being dramatic Hermione dear. Just let Pansy work her magic on it and you'll never have to do a thing. Pansy, Hermione would like a charm to make her hair lighter and one to keep it from getting in her way," Luna suddenly spoke up. Hermione wanted to glare at the innocent looking creature but had still not managed a way to feel ill will toward the girl that had saved her countless times and was too sweet for her own good.

"Easy," Pansy said smiling and cast the spells quickly before Hermione could say anything. Her head instantly felt lighter, as if she still had her boy-cut and Hermione begrudgingly had to admit that her hair would be manageable with Pansy's magical adjustments.

"Alright, enough with the vanity show," Hermione stated abruptly while silently wondering if their mental states might have been affected by the sudden body change. She hadn't worried about her hair in years, "time to talk business." She quickly cast a nonverbal/wandless Tempus spell to ascertain the date and time: 2:20 PM AUGUST 22, 1975.

"Alright it looks like we managed to make it thirty three years into the past. There are ten days until the students leave for Hogwarts. I'm thinking with our newfound appearances, we should take up residence there to avoid suspicion, have access to the diadem, and keep an eye on the students as well as the Order."

Both Luna and Pansy nodded their heads in agreement.

"We'll need to find lodging for the time being," Hermione continued on, her always chaotic mind cataloguing their impending courses of action, "I'm thinking the Leaky should suffice since it should still be up and running in this time period and Voldemort's scope is much more limited now than what we're used to experiencing. Let's go ahead and apparate there now so we can write out a letter to Dumbledore."

The girls had no trouble wandlessly apparating to the Leaky Cauldron as they had mastered the difficult skill very early on in the war in order to make quick escapes as easy as possible. When they first stepped foot into the bustling crowd of the present day Diagon Alley, they were each almost overwhelmed to see the old shops they had grown up going to up and running again. People were definitely cautious because of the spreading rumors of Voldemort in this period but there was still happiness here. Children were running carelessly through the streets while parents followed after laughing. It brought smiles to the war weary girls' faces.

However, it quickly became apparent that the three now teenaged girls were not fitting in to the crowd. People were turning to stare in their direction curiously and it was Pansy who first discovered why.

"Guys, I think we should stop and buy some clothes before we go to the Leaky Cauldron," Pansy quickly stated, glancing around them cautiously.

Hermione and Luna looked down at themselves in synchronization and discovered that they were still wearing their war attire. Black leather pants, combat boots, form-fitting tank tops, leather vests, and waist and arm holsters for supplies. They hardly fit in with the light summer apparel displayed in Diagon Alley.

"I think you may be right," Hermione stated matter-of-factly before taking off in the direction of the nearest clothing store.

The girls quickly changed into new clothes, after having quite a bit of fun with the 70s style outfits, and bought more to take with them to Hogwarts, should Dumbledore agree to their enrollment. Pansy now sported a crisp white button down, a leather skirt, stockings and a pair of black pumps. Hermione had opted for a tight pair of jeans that wouldn't snag on anything, a black rock tee shirt under a green jacket that laced up at the sleeves and in back, and finished it with a pair of black flats. Luna, always the individual, had gone with an off the shoulder white dress with billowing sleeves and a cinched in waist that the fabric below her bust flowed out from in lacy tufts. She finished the look with brown, oxford style high heels and a matching brown oversized newsboy hat. And of course some quintessential Luna jewelry. All three girls sported gloves of some kind to hide the scars that decorated their hands and arms from various tortures and battles. The girls theorized that the marks had become such a part of them that they were imprinted even on their self-images. Hermione was glad they had stayed. She never wanted to forget what she was fighting for and the countless derogatory marks decorating her skin served just that purpose. They were survivors, and their scars proved that.

They arrived at the Leaky carrying their new purchases and were able to get a room with surprising ease.

"Alright," Hermione started as soon as they were settled in, "let's get started on this letter. What do you guys think our back-story should be?"

Luna instantly shot her hand into the air to the amusement of Hermione and Pansy.

"Luna," Hermione said drolly, briefly remembering better days when her own hand would shoot up in the air to answer questions. Luna, however, looked like she was preparing to share a great secret with them.

"Sixteen years ago," Luna began in a grave voice that Pansy and Hermione did their best not to snort at, "three witches were born to loving parents. Two of the girls were raised in a small wizarding village in the United States steeped in ancient traditions and secrecy with British ancestral roots. The third was born to muggles in a farmhouse nearby. One day, when the girls were around seven, the soon to be discovered muggle-born witch was roaming the forest near her house when she stumbled upon a strange, invisible force field. To the later astonishment of the villagers, the under aged prodigy was somehow able to slip past their magical defenses and walk strait into the village. There she met two other seven-year-old girls who had been outside chatting over the fence that separated their houses.

"'Hello, my name's Hermione Durant,' the muggle-born stated to the two other girls.

"'Hello, Hermione, my name is Luna Summerbee and this is my friend Pansy Peasegood. It is lovely to meet you,' the blonde headed girl spoke up.

"The girls got to know each other and began playing games until Pansy's mother came out to check on Pansy. Upon seeing Hermione, she gave a start -,"

"The usual reaction," Pansy piped up, snickering. Hermione punched her good naturedly while Luna continued unfazed, " - and instantly inquired as to how she had come to be in the village. For Mrs. Azalea Peasegood knew all of the members of the tiny village by name and face and had never before seen this strangely dressed girl.

"'Why, I simply followed my feet,' Hermione replied blithely.

"Mrs. Peasegood was astounded by this answer and quickly alerted the other villagers of this turn of events. After confirming Hermione's magical abilities they decided to tell her about their world and ask if she and her parents would like to become a part of their village instead of her being sent away to a boarding school in four years. Hermione decided she liked the idea, especially because she would be with her new friends, and arrangements were quickly made to include the Durant family home within the village barrier. From that day forward, the three witches were never apart and were trained in the ways of their secret unnamed village. That was, until the year they turned sixteen and Lord Voldemort attacked their home and killed every villager except the three girls who had been away exploring a muggle town. Upon returning and discovering that everyone and everything they loved had been destroyed, the girls decided to move back to the country of their ancestors and apply to a wizarding school there in the hope of gaining sanctuary and further developing their magical skills."

Luna beamed proudly after completing the long-winded epic and waited patiently for her friends' approval. Hermione just stared at Luna with her eyebrow quirked and Pansy gaped like a fish.

"Um, Luna? How long have you been thinking about this?" Pansy asked, regaining her sensibilities.

"Hm?" Luna asked happily, "Oh, I just thought of it now. My mind often wanders, as you know, so I let it wander somewhere useful this time."

Hermione was suddenly grinning. That was just so Luna. She had even come up with false last names for the three of them.

"Alright then," Hermione chuckled, "let's get started."

_Dear Professor Dumbledore,_

_We are writing today to ask of you an urgent and inconsiderate favor. As of this summer, our village in the United States was attacked and destroyed by the one who calls himself Lord Voldemort. Luna, Pansy, and myself are the only survivors and have moved to London to rediscover our ancestral roots. We are still, unfortunately, underage at sixteen and were hoping to be able to finish our education here in Britain until such time we are considered to be "adults". So we write to ask you very much at the last minute if you would be willing and able to find us a spot at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. We are willing to pay the tuition. Please inform us of your decision at your earliest convenience._

_ Sincerely,_

_Hermione Durant, Luna Summerbee, and Pansy Peasegood_

"Well, it certainly sounds very Hermione-ish," Pansy sited cheerfully.

"What about all of the background?" Luna put in almost dejectedly.

"We don't' want to overcrowd the letter Luna. We can just save the back story for when people inevitably ask us in person, though we should still probably only tell it to people we get closer to so that we appear properly despondent," Hermione responded as soothingly as she could manage. Hermione tried to be soft with her friends, even though it had become increasingly difficult throughout the war to be as open as she had once been. Still, she loved them dearly, as was evidenced by her efforts. Luna appeared to be placated by her words, however, and was smiling that infuriating smile again.

"Alright girls, Let's grab our wands from Ollivander's and then get a bite to eat," Hermione stated authoritatively.

Ollivander's was the same as the girls remembered it from when they bought their very first wands at eleven. Ollivander himself took a long time finding each of their wands, the results of which surprised the witches to say the least. They had each been given different wands from what they had originally owned. Luna had been chosen by a unicorn hair core wand of English oak, Pansy by a pine wand with a dragon heartstring core, and Hermione strangely enough was chosen by a wand made of phoenix feather and elder.

"This is very curious Mr. Ollivander," Hermione said casually, making an effort to not sound accusatory, "Our last wands were very different from the ones that have chosen us today. Why do you think that is?"

Ollivander stared at the three girls in wonder, interested in the wands that had chosen them, particularly the elder and phoenix wand.

"Some folks find that as they grow older and develop, their ideal wands change. Other times, traumatic events can have an effect on the structure of a witch or wizard's personality and such a shift will often attract a different wand from what the wielder may have originally possessed," Ollivander answered dutifully seeming to hesitate in thought.

"What I can't believe is that Hermione got a wand made of elder. You know what they say, 'wand of elder, never prosper'," Pansy stated worriedly. Hermione nodded, she had heard this expression as well. A very long time ago.

"My dear," Ollivander intoned with a smile, "that is a baseless superstition circulated by wand bearers ill equipped to handle an elder wand. Paired with the right witch or wizard, its power is unbelievable. In my experience, it merely takes an individual of great skill and destiny to wield an elder. What is interesting about this particular wand however is the pairing with a phoenix core. I've always said that I might never sell this wand as it would be extraordinarily difficult for just anyone to use."

He looked at Hermione with interest and finished, "I am very much looking forward to seeing what your destiny will be young lady."

Hermione was nonplussed by the declaration, instead taking Ollivander's words as a challenge. She was on a mission after all, and if that was the destiny this wand was seeking to be a part of, who was she to deny it her company?

"Very well, we'll take the lot," Hermione replied.


	5. Chapter 5

In the days leading up to September 1, the trio spent their time buying school supplies and doing reconnaissance. From what they were hearing on the streets, Voldemort had already begun attacking whole towns of muggles and had become such a fearful presence that people were already starting to refer to him a He Who Must Not Be Named. The girls had written down as many events as possible they were dogged to prevent but not much was known about the early years of Voldemort's rise to power. This being the case they were determined to focus on destroying all the horcruxes as quickly and cleanly as possible.

A few days after the girls had sent their letter to Dumbledore, a reply came by owl to the Leaky.

_Dear Misses Durant,_ _Summerbee, and Peasegood,_

_I am so very sorry for your unbearable loss. Hogwarts would be very honored to assist you in your time of need. School begins on September 1, as I'm sure you are aware, and you may come straight to my office earlier that day if you wish to talk about placement in Houses and classes. The password is lemon drops. Do let me know if there is anything else I can do for you girls in these trying times. I look forward to meeting you._

_ Sincerely,_

_ Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledoare_

_ Headmaster of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry_

The girls had decided that it probably would be best to hash out what Dumbledore thought of them so they agreed upon apparating to Hogsmeade earlier that day to speak with him.

They ended up arriving only thirty minutes before the Hogwarts Express was due to pull into Hogsmeade station, so as not to give the wise man _too_ much time to interrogate them.

Hogwarts looked the same as the first time they had ever laid eyes on it, still standing and magnificent.

"We're finally going home," Hermione had breathed in an increasingly rare moment of sentimentality, thinking back to more innocent days and two best friends she'd thought she'd never part with.

The other two girls beamed at the thought as the three trudged up to the towering castle.

They made their way toward the familiar gargoyle hiding the entrance to Dumbledore's office. It predictably jumped aside at the mention of lemon drops and Hermione braced herself for what was sure to be an emotional encounter on her part. She had always loved and respected Professor Dumbledore.

A simple, "enter," was uttered before they could even knock. Dumbledore was sitting at his large desk looking over his spectacles at the girls.

Dumbledore had felt a great sense of loss when he had first read the tragic letter sent to him by three sixteen year old girls. It seemed no one was beyond Voldemort's reach these days. He had also, however, been struck by the business-like tone of the letter and the maturity the writer seemed to portray. He was also curious as to this mysterious village of theirs that he, who claimed knowledge of almost every aspect of the magical world, had never heard of. It certainly was curious.

When he told his visitors to enter, he had hardly been expecting them to look the way they did. They were wearing brand new Hogwarts uniforms of course but they looked more put together than the average teenager especially average teenagers that had just lost their entire families. They also possessed a certain other-worldliness; it was like they knew something he did not, which was a very foreign feeling for Albus Dumbledore.

The brunette-haired witch strode forward into his eccentric office as if she had done it countless times and took a seat in one of the chairs in front of his desk while the other two followed behind her as if compelled.

"Hello Professor Dumbledore. My name is Hermione Durant and these are my longtime friends Luna Summerbee and Pansy Peasegood. We would just like to say how honored we are that you have allowed us to come and study here at Hogwarts," the small but strong looking girl said formally.

Only a little ruffled, Dumbledore quickly replied, "No, no dear. Of course the honor is mine. I am so pleased that I was able to assist you in these heartrending times." He wanted to question them about their village but he felt like it would be insensitive to do so. He made the decision to ask them at a later date when they had gotten to know one another better.

"And we greatly appreciate your assistance. I do not know what we would have done without you," the young girl seemed to show her first bit of emotion since entering the room at these words, as if they had a double meaning, but continued on strongly, "Now, you mentioned something about classes and Houses?"

"Ah yes, well I was thinking it would be best for you three to be sorted after the first years so perhaps we should have a bit of fun with it and have you make a grand entrance," Dumbledore finished with a twinkle in his eye, sensing that the arrival of these three young girls might just be a turning point of some kind. In what direction, though, he knew not.


	6. Chapter 6

It had been much too long since the Marauders had last been at Hogwarts. Each had missed their home away from home dearly and couldn't wait for another exciting year in this magical castle. The Marauders clapped eagerly as the last of the first years were sorted, anxious to get at the amazing feast that was sure to follow. That was, until Professor Dumbledore clapped his hands together to gain the attention of the bustling Great Hall.

"Welcome back to another year at Hogwarts. This year we will be having a few extra students joining us in our pursuit of knowledge. They will be entering the sixth year class and I know that you will all welcome the new transfer students with open arms. I look forward to a cooperative year," whispers broke out amongst the students at the mention of transfer students; Hogwarts had never had transfer students before. "And now without further ado, I ask that my newest students please enter the hall."

There was a great commotion as the Hall erupted into excited chatter; Dumbledore always did like a good show. Then the doors to the Great Hall swung open abruptly, silencing the surrounding area. Three girls began marching toward the front of the Hall with their hands behind their backs in a manner that could only be described as practiced. They were extraordinarily beautiful but two of them had no expression whatsoever and the third looked a bit like she wasn't all there.

Remus Lupin watched as the three made their way past where he sat at the Gryffindor table. The brunette girl in the middle seemed to lead the way as the other two fell into step behind and he couldn't help but wonder just where these new students came from. He had never seen such interesting looking eyes and they all wore their long hair in a matching style with some of it clipped to the back of their head. They moved as one despite having totally different physical features. One was blonde headed and starry eyed while another was black haired with deep green eyes. The middle one though, caught his attention the most. It was as if she was drowning in a sea of perfectly shaped curls that bounced with each step she took and her eyes were a sharp coppery color that seemed as if they were tracking every movement around her. She walked with confidence and seemed to emanate a power that no teenager he had every met possessed. He was inexplicably drawn to her and wondered which house she would be placed in by the Sorting Hat.

When the girls reached the hat at the front of the room, the curly haired girl leaned in to whisper something to McGonagall, who nodded briskly and turned to announce the girls to be sorted.

"Pansy Peasgood!" Professor McGonagall called out clearly. The brunette girl turned to the black haired girl and nodded subtly, an action that both puzzled and intrigued Remus. It was like she was a general or something, leading her troops through a mission.

The girl called Pansy Peasegood strode directly up to the hat and placed it on her head.

Pansy's view:

_"Ah well if it isn't Pansy Parkinson. You've certainly come a long way to be resorted. It looks as if your mind has changed considerably since the last time we talked. However I will stick with my previous decision since you still seem to have reservations about being placed elsewhere."_

"Slytherin!" The hat called out, causing the Slytherin table to erupt in applause at scoring one of the new transfer students. Pansy Peasegood stalked over to the Slytherin table and remained standing in front of an open seat, much to the puzzlement of the crowd.

"Luna Summerbee!" McGonagall called out next, eyeing the dazed looking girl skeptically. Again the brunette gave that subtle nod before the blonde girl literally skipped up to the Sorting Hat.

"Do you think she's, like, mental?" Someone whispered loudly.

Luna's view:

_"Miss Lovegood, always a pleasure. Yours was one of my favorite minds I see. You're still very much suited for Ravenclaw but I agree with you that lately you have leaned toward another house in your actions. I can see that placing you in this house would be advantageous to you plans so I will say…"_

"Gryffindor!"

People gaped for a second at the decision before the Gryffindors erupted into loud applause. It was Gryffindor policy to befriend everyone in the house. Luna skipped over to an empty seat near the other sixth years and remained standing behind it as well, facing the front table with a happy expression on her pale face.

People were seriously beginning to wonder what was with these girls when McGonagall finally called out the last name.

"Hermione Durant!"

The skinny teenager marched up to the stool and unceremoniously plopped the hat upon her head.

Hermione's view:

_"Oh my. Miss Granger you've certainly been through a lot. It seems to have changed you quite a bit. I always said you had traits befitting any of the four houses. If you wish, you may choose where to be placed."_

_ Hermione already new she would not be able to manage Gryffindor again, considering all the memories that would be shoved in her face just by entering the common room, but wanted at least two of the girls to remain in the same house._

_ "I would like to be placed in Slytherin," she told the hat, "at least there I won't be asked too many questions and I will possibly have a chance to increase house unity."_

_ The hat nodded seeming to agree with her, "You do seem as if your Slytherin qualities have taken dominance for the time being and I think it would be interesting to watch the effect you have on the students from such a house. Well then, by all means…"_

"Slytherin!" the hat called out decisively. Remus's shoulders drooped; he had hoped to be able to talk to the strange girl. Perhaps Luna Summerbee would be able to answer some of his questions.

Hermione marched over to the Slytherin table and stood across from Pansy waiting for all of the Professors to take their seats before indicating to Pansy and Luna to do the same. She could tell they had caused quite the commotion amongst the students, but figured the more mysterious they were, the less people would expect answers to their millions of questions. She had been pleased when the hat placed her in Slytherin because she hoped to be able to talk to her old Potions Master Severus Snape and maybe prevent him from making the biggest mistake of his life. She had even taken the seat next to him for this very reason. Plus, she wasn't sure if she was ready to face a few of the familiar faces that were no doubt in Gryffidor during this time period.

"So, I've heard the name Peasegood before of course, but I've never heard of Durant. Is it French?" One particularly snobby looking boy suddenly inquired, obviously fishing for pureblood credentials.

Hermione smiled sweetly at him before responding, "I suppose it is French but the reason you've probably never heard of it is because it is a Muggle surname. I'm a muggle-born you see."

The Slytherins instantly recoiled around her, much to Hermione's amusement. Even Snape flinched a little, as if anticipating what was to come.

"That's impossible," the same boy spit, "there are no mudblood Slytherins. It simply is not done."

Hermione smirked at the boy to the general astonishment of the rest of the students in the Great Hall who were now listening to the intriguing conversation. Was she not at all affected by practically being called a mudblood?

"Well obviously it is done because here I am," Hermione simply stated as if talking to a child. Many people gasped at her gall while Slytherins all along the table scooted to get away from the girl. Severus Snape however was rooted in place. Who was this random wisp of a girl and how was she not at all influenced by the looks of distaste being sent in her direction by every Sytherin beside her friend and himself. He simply did not know how to react to her.

Hermione, however, had quickly shifted her attention to the food that had appeared in front them and was in the process of loading her plate down. Pansy was smirking at her antics while also helping herself.

"You really are a champ at making friends Hermione. I cannot understand why you would ever have trouble getting to know people," Pansy said innocently with a clearly sarcastic undertone.

"I am aren't I?" Hermione chirped as if not paying attention to the sarcasm, "Who knows why I was placed in _Slytherin_."

The two girls smirked as if sharing a secret joke and Severus couldn't help but wonder just what was going on. They weren't normal. They didn't seem to care if they made any allies at all in the Slytherin House. Even he wasn't able to be that blasé about politics within the house. He already had to start being diplomatic toward the continuous offers he was getting to join the Dark Lord. Did these girls not have any sense of self-preservation at all or were they just stupid?

"So," he suddenly heard the brown haired girl say, "What's your name then?"

Severus turned his head slightly to see what poor soul they had now turned their attention to and realized that both girls were staring directly at him. He started at being singled out but recovered well enough to sneer out, "Severus Snape." He didn't want to be too friendly toward the girls as they were definitely already on a sinking ship. Not that he was really friendly with anyone in the school expect for Lily. And now since he had let himself utter _that_ word in her presence he didn't even have her anymore. But he didn't want to think about that; it was still too fresh.

Hermione raised an eyebrow amusedly while the girl named Pansy seemed to be fighting off a smile that looked almost nostalgic. Their strange expressions were enough to shake him out of his dark thoughts.

"It is lovely to meet you Severus Snape," Hermione replied surprisingly without a hint of sarcasm, "As you may have heard, my name is Hermione Durant and this is one of my very dear friends Pansy Peasegood. Please just call us Hermione and Pansy." She smiled at him genuinely after her little introduction and Severus couldn't help but notice the enormous difference between this smile and the sickeningly sweet one she had sent Avery after he asked her that obviously judging question. It was because of this smile that Severus felt inexplicably compelled to respond.

"You should be more careful," he ground out, "announcing you're background like that was very Gryffindor but people with those traits won't last long in Slytherin. You'll need to watch yourself from now on," he replied harshly. To his great surprise she did not recoil from his tone at all but merely widened her smile as if she had just witnessed something magnificent.

"Though you may not want to hear it Severus, it is very kind of you to worry about us," Snape grimaced at this as Hermione continued, "However, I can assure you that I was fully aware of what sort of reception I would receive upon such a declaration. Believe it or not there was a purpose behind my actions. I don't plan on being taken down so easily and so, Severus, there really is no need to worry about what petty remarks I may receive after this." She seemed to get some sort of secret pleasure out of saying his first name that he did not understand at all but let the matter drop. It was really none of his business if they doomed themselves after all.

Meanwhile, at the Gryffindor table, the Marauders had commandeered the new member of their house to try and get the low down on their situation.

"So, Luna right?" James Potter asked good-naturedly. She nodded back without really focusing on any of their faces, seemingly much more concerned with the movement of the ceiling.

James continued on undeterred, "My name is James Potter and these are my friends Sirius Black, Remus Lupin, and Peter Pettigrew."

Luna's attention dutifully landed on each boy in turn nodding politely. The Gryffindors smiled back good naturedly, thinking that the girl might be very interesting to investigate.

"So," Sirius began, picking up where James left off, "what's you three's story?" The other Marauders face palmed at Sirius's complete lack of tack but to their surprise Luna seemed to perk up and pay attention at the question.

"Well, you see Sirius Black, it's a rather long and dreadful story that Hermione has told me should be saved for once we get to know the people here a bit better. So, I think the best course of action would be to wait a few weeks and ask me again. By that time, I think it will be safe to call us acquaintances and thus invoke the privilege of sharing our pasts. It would be quite wonderful if we could someday become friends," Luna finished excitedly, as if she had planned all of this in her head before hand.

The Marauders stared at her speechlessly, wondering just what kind of "dreadful" past had made her so positively odd but not daring to question her further until the time she had allotted had passed.

"That's an interesting way of looking at things," a voice from a couple of seats down spoke up, "Hey, my name is Lily Evens and I'm a prefect. If there's anything you need just let me know." The red-haired girl smiled at the new girl and Luna was put in mind of Harry's friendly eyes and welcoming disposition.

The Marauders watched as the girl's automatic small smile stretched into a full on grin while replying, "I'm so pleased to meet you Lily Evens. I hope we will be able to be great friends. I quite like you."

The red-haired girl blushed at the blonde's blunt statement but seemed to be won over by her honest nature. Grinning, she replied, "I hope so too, Luna Summerbee, I like you as well." Her gaze shifted over to the Marauders and her tone changed as she said, "I wouldn't get too involved we these guys though, Luna, they're nothing but trouble."

"Oh come on Evens, you know you love me," James put in with his best puppy dog face. Lily just rolled her eyes and looked pointedly at Luna, "Seriously though, you have been warned."

Luna kept her perpetual smile as this little conversation happened before saying lightly, "Don't worry Lily, I doubt they'll give me too much trouble. I'll do my best to remain on guard though if it means that much to you."

The others stared at her a moment before chuckling and changing the subject.


	7. Chapter 7

"Alright boys, what have you got for me?" James Potter asked his friends later that night in the safety of their shared bedroom. It was time to add a new file to their records. They had one on every student and teacher at Hogwarts.

"They seem like they've had some sort of intense training, judging by the way they walk together and carry themselves," Remus stated, ticking off various observations he had made, "The one named Hermione seems to lead Luna and that Pansy girl. I saw her giving them silent indications throughout the whole of dinner."

"They're all smoking hot," Sirius put in helpfully, thinking back to the black haired beauty he had immediately dismissed as an option after her sorting placement, "but don't look anything alike. Plus they seemed to have a preplanned unity to their actions. Like the hairstyle."

"Durant is a muggleborn in Slytherin and announced it out loud without a care to their entire house," Peter put in, perplexed.

"Luna won't tell us their past until they all know us better, which seems to indicate there is something strange about that past," James added, twirling a quill between his fingers.

"All in all they're just plan weird," Sirius finished, causing Remus to whack him with a pillow.

"Alright guys. This is not nearly enough for a comprehensive file. From now on, each one of makes a habit to get closer to one of the new girls for the sake of eventually finding their weaknesses and pranking them," James finished. The other boys nodded in agreement, while Remus worried internally that this might not be such a good idea.

Luna, Hermione, and Pansy planned to meet in front of the Great Hall before breakfast to discuss their interactions with the people from the past. They were all used to an early morning regiment so it wasn't a particularly cumbersome plan. Luna was the first to arrive and waited patiently for her Slytherin counterparts to come marching around the corner. When they finally appeared, heals clicking decisively on the stone floor, Luna couldn't help but marvel at the fact that the last time they had all been at Hogwarts together they had not really been friends at all. Well, Hermione had said they were friends but Luna of course knew in those days Hermione had not been able to comprehend her in the least and had a hard time not contradicting every word Luna said. Pansy of course had been somewhat of a bully to all those poor souls not in her house, though Luna had always known that the poor girl was just lost and looking for someone to show her the way. At the time it had been Draco Malfoy.

Since the day they all escaped Tom Riddle's hideaway, Luna was incandescently happy to say that they had become the best of friends. Hermione had responded coldly to Pansy at first, as was her way when she was feeling awkward, and Pansy had lashed out because of her inability to express her admiration for Hermione, but Luna had soon set them straight and the three had grown together ever since, like vines twisting into one branch. They were stronger together. And Luna was happy to have some semblance of a family again.

"Luna," Pansy called out, running up to the dotty looking witch, "did you survive you're night with the Gryffindors? They weren't too stupid were they?" She finished with a sidelong glance at Hermione, who subsequently rolled her eyes at the Slytherin witch. Pansy had taken to making jokes at Luna and Hermione's expense once more awhile after their escape, but this time in a friendlier, familiar manner that more often than not just made both girls laugh at her antics. It was obvious that some Gryffindors were_ very_ intelligent. Cough, cough, Hermione.

"Putting you're ridiculousness aside," Hermione interceded, eyeing Pansy before pulling them into an alcove and casting muffliato, "How _did_ you fair last night, Luna?"

Luna smiled and responded dreamily, "Oh it was quite lovely. I finally got to taste Hogwarts pudding again; I met Sirius Black, Remus Lupin, and even Harry's parents; I tracked the wrackspurt movement amongst the students; and I had a right lovely chat with Lily Evens as we walked back to our dorm after dinner. She is such a lovely girl. A real friend, just like Harry was."

Hermione caught her breath painfully at the mention of her best friend, trying desperately to hide the raw emotion she felt at discovering any sort of similarity he had with someone that would be occupying the same room as her. Luna reached out and patted Hermione's shoulder comfortingly and met her eyes in understanding.

"Well, we got to meet someone pretty interesting as well, after Hermione was done messing with the Slytherins' minds," Pansy suddenly piped up, sensing the need for a change of subject. Luna turned to her and waited patiently for Pansy to continue.

"Snape seems kinder now then he did as our Potions professor," Hermione speculated, having come around from her momentary weakness.

"I know what you mean," Pansy put in, "it's like he doesn't want you to know it but he actually does care about people somewhere in that dark little heart of his."

"Well, we already knew he always cared about Lily," Luna said lightly, "It stands to reason that he should be capable of caring about others as well."

Hermione pondered this unusually logical statement of Luna's and said happily, "Yes, I do think we will be able to help him. After all he did as a spy for the Light, he deserves to have a do-over in this lifetime."

The three girls smiled briefly at the thought of making a difference for the future and walked confidently through the doors of the Great Hall after finishing their brief rendezvous.

Severus Snape had been puzzling his brain to death over the three new girls that had seemingly appeared out of nowhere. Where did they even come from and why did they act so… well, weird? Hermione Durant seemed borderline crazy, Pansy Peasegood found serious situations funny, and he hadn't talked to that Luna Summerbee at all but she seemed like a completely daft creature with no attention span whatsoever.

He had been turning over thoughts such as these while eating his toast and jam when he heard a loud bang from the direction of the doors. Looking up, he realized that the three girls he had previously been pondering had just glided into the room, marching in much the same manner they had last night. Did they always have to enter a room in such an intimidating way? He had been expecting the two Slytherins to part from the dotty Gryffindor as they approached the tables, but to his surprise the springy girl followed behind the other two right up to their table.

Pansy turned and spotted that the blonde-haired girl had not yet separated from them and raised an aristocratic eyebrow. "Don't you belong over there Summerbee?" She asked slyly.

Luna grinned in return, "I belong everywhere. As do we all. I am, however, approaching the Slytherin table because I wanted to meet this new friend you both told me about." Luna then turned and stared directly at Severus, making a chill crawl up his spine. This one was weird all right.

"Of course!" Hermione suddenly exclaimed in an obviously over dramatic manner that didn't suit her disposition, "where _are_ my manners? Luna this is Severus Snape, petulant hero with concerns for damsels in distress. Severus, this is Luna Summerbee, seer of all things and healer extraordinaire." Hermione exclaimed lavishly while Severus's cheeks tinged pink at being referred to in such a strange manner. Luna however just seemed to smile at him with what appeared to be sincere happiness and stated quite bluntly, "I am very pleased to meet a petulant hero. You seem like a very complex person Mr. Snape and I am sure I will enjoy trying to become you're friend."

Severus stared at the bulbous eyed girl and noted that she had actually been aware that she would have to put in effort to be around him. He wasn't sure if he was comfortable with the way she was staring at him so he responded just to try to and make the grudgingly pretty girl go away.

"Yes, yes, now go back to the Gryffindor dogs before you're seen at the Slytherin table," he all but snarled out.

Luna seemed to beam at this statement, an action that baffled Severus to no end, before turning around and skipping over to her table.

That did it, Snape decided, there was definitely something wrong with the transfer students… _especially_ the Summerbee girl. She'd turned out to be even weirder than the other two if that were possible. And what was with Hermione's description of her? Seer of all things and healer extraordinaire, was it? What in the world was that supposed to mean? He watched her skip all the way back to her table with a dazed sort of expression on his face.

"What's up Sev? You look like you've just seen a nargle," Pansy seemed to ask slyly while Hermione smirked at something to which he had no knowledge. The strange word caught his attention though.

"What in the world is a nargle?" He asked wearily, as if just having a conversation with any of these girls was physically exhausting for him.

"That, my friend, would be a good question for Luna, if you ever get the chance," Hermione suddenly jumped in. Severus looked between the two girls and wondered if they were all just taking the mickey out of him.

He once again let the topic drop though, as he was beginning to feel a serious tension headache coming on.

Meanwhile, at the Gryffindor table, Sirius Black was watching the exchange taking place over at the Slytherin table. Why in the world would such lovely girls spend their time talking to Snivillus? Luna was a Gryffindor for Merlin's sake! That bushy haired girl named Hermione was a muggleborn so it certainly didn't make sense for her to want to associate with the dark-arts-loving sleazeball. As for that beautiful, dark-haired girl with the attitude, well, she was at the very least too pretty to associate with a git like that. Then again, Evens had been friends with him for years and she was a muggleborn _and_ pretty, as James repeatedly informed him a hundred times a day. But that was beside the point. She had just hung out with him because they were childhood friends; she'd wizened up over the summer and wasn't getting on with him these days. These girls had only been here a day and they were already spending time with that wannabe Death Eater. Oh. Luna was turning away from the table now. It really was a shame her two friends had ended up in Slytherin. On principal he did not associate with Slytherins and therefore would not engage in any sort of contact with the other two girls. Most especially that black-haired one with the slightly up turned nose, she looked like the aristocratic type. He abhorred people who came from the sort of life he had abandoned. So even if she was pretty and looked lovely when she smiled, she was absolutely off limits. He wouldn't even utter her name, let alone –

"Hello Sirius Black," Luna said happily as she sat down in front of him, "James Potter, Remus Lupin, Peter Pettigrew." She continued down the line. Lily smile at the blonde girl who instantly turned and said, "And of course Lily my newest friend!"

"What about us?" Sirius put in grumpily, "you said it would be weeks before we would even be you're acquaintances and you're referring to all of us by our full names. Why can't we be you're friends?"

Luna's eyes seemed to widen at this as if her perpetually surprised look was turning into actual surprise. Lily quickly interceded and told the group, "I also had that problem at first until I resolutely told Luna that we already are friends. I think she harbors misconceptions when it comes to herself." Lily paused as if realizing she had just spoken civilly to the Marauders. "Not that I'm saying she should be friends with you lot in any case.

Luna's cheeks colored a bit, as she began, "I was not aware that you all wished to become friends with me. I've never been very good at making friends you see. It usually comes about quite unnaturally for me I'm afraid."

The Marauders looked at one another before James resolutely told her, "Luna, if you'll have us, we would most definitely like for you to acknowledge us as you're friends." Luna seemed uncertain for a moment, as if she wasn't used to becoming friends with people so fast but eventually smiled serenely at them and replied, "It would seem that I still have something to learn when it comes to my own interactions with people. Thank you for making such a kind offer. I would be honored to have you as friends."

Sirius and James cheered as if they had just won a Quidditch match while Remus smiled gently and Peter grinned at the antics of his friends. Lily shook her head sadly.


	8. Chapter 8

The first day of classes passed by well enough until double period Potions with Slughorn. Gryffindors and Slytherins were put together for the class as per Professor Dumbledore's tradition and naturally the Slytherins were the first to occupy the room, preferring to stake out their territory. Snape had taken his usual place near the front of the classroom while Hermione and Pansy intentionally targeted the table directly behind him much to Severus's dismay. Hermione spotted Luna walking through the door with her new gaggle of Gryffindors and decided to push Snape a bit further.

"Luna!" She called out casually, "Can you come over hear please?" Severus turned around to scrutinize the situation as Luna skipped over to Hermione's side with the others lagging behind cautiously.

"Hermione," Luna said happily.

Hermione smiled at her long time friend. "Sit next to Severus there so we can talk to you." Snape inhaled through his nose quickly, glaring at the smirking girl behind him.

"What a marvelous idea, Hermione! I was so hoping to be able to talk with Severus again," Luna chirped.

By that time Lily had resolutely made her way over to Luna while the Marauders continued to stand behind the scene warily.

"Hello there, my name is Lily Evens. We haven't had the pleasure of meeting yet so I thought I'd introduce myself to Luna's friends. How are you liking Hogwarts?"

Hermione stared at the girl before her while a flash of pain shot through her heart. Harry's eyes. When it became apparent that Hermione needed more time to recover, for she was still staring at Lily like the redheaded girl was actually a heliopath, Pansy quickly stepped in.

"Hello Lily, it's nice to know this head case has made a friend over in that house of yours. One does worry about her sometimes," Pansy cut in. Lily and the Gryffindors listening in on the exchange looked ready to retaliate in Luna's defense, when they heard a soft tinkling laughter arise. They all simultaneously turned to face the sound to see Luna shaking with mirth, much to the Gryffindors' and Snape's confusion.

"Oh Pansy," Luna suddenly gasped between giggles, "you are always so funny!"

Pansy grinned at the merry girl before turning back to the gaping Gryffindors with her eyebrow raised.

The Gryffindors seemed to be stunned into silence, unable to quite comprehend the relationship between these three mysterious girls. Snape on the other hand was staring at Luna like she was completely mad.

Before any of them could ruminate on Luna and Pansy further, Hermione finally recovered herself and stuck her hand out towards Lily.

"I am very happy to finally meet you Lily; I've heard nothing but praise for you and I am very pleased that Luna has made new friends who seem quite ready to take up arms in her defense."

Lily took the brunette's hand tentatively, shifting slightly under the strange praise and turned quickly to Severus as a means of changing the subject.

"Snape, seems you're being friendlier that usual. Actually deigning to interact with lower life forms are we?" Lily turned back to Hermione, "Best be on you're guard dear, this one's prejudiced." Severus visibly winced at her words.

Hermione smiled sadly at Lily, realizing that Snape's worst memory had already taken place at the end of the last school term. "I think sometimes outside pressures can cause people to give impressions they don't really mean to give. Severus has been nothing but concerned for us since we first met him."

Lily raised her eyebrows in surprise but said nothing, wondering if she did indeed need to rethink her harsh judgment of her former best friend while the Marauders sputtered in outrage at Hermione's description of Snape. Severus for his part was turning slightly red at the turn in the conversation.

"That one's barmy, she is," Sirius said in reference to Hermione, who merely raised one eyebrow in amusement.

"And just who might you lot be?" She asked in a light tone with only the slightest bit of pain underneath, trying to avoid looking at the boy that looked so much like her best friend but not exactly finding comfort in addressing any of the other Marauders whom she had actually already been acquainted with.

It was Remus that stepped forward to answer surprisingly. "These two wankers are Sirius Black and James Potter. That's Peter Pettigrew and my name is Remus Lupin. It's a pleasure to finally meet you."

Hermione's attention zeroed in on the boy that she had once called professor and was pleased to note that he looked a lot less tired than she remembered, happy and attractive while his friends still surrounded him.

"Are you lot friends of Luna as well or just passing through?" Pansy suddenly asked fully aware of the answer while still feelingly like she wanted to mess with them. That Black boy had called Hermione barmy after all and, ironically enough, Pansy didn't take well to people insulting her friends, especially Hermione.

Sirius seemed to bristle at Pansy's words and quickly responded. "Of course we're Luna's friends. Why would we have been standing here all this time if we weren't?"

Pansy threw one of her old smirks at the Gryffindor boy and replied quite seriously, "Because you have taken a keen interest in the newest members of the school and are trying to scoop out any details you can for you're own nefarious purposes."

Sirius's face flushed at the somewhat accurate accusation but he carried on like any good Gryffindor would. "You don't know what our purposes might or might not be so don't just go presuming things and as for Luna, she admitted to being our friend just this morning at breakfast," Sirius finished smugly, as if he had just cinched the argument.

Pansy smiled sweetly at him, a smile that anyone who knew her could tell was sinister, and replied calmly, "of course I don't pretend to know you're purposes only that they are nefarious and that you, sir, seem to have a remarkable ability to say exactly the wrong thing at the wrong time. In any case, seeing as Luna has accepted you as a friend I will try to withhold judgment until such a time comes that I am free to pronounce it."

Sirius stared at her slack-jawed while his friends seemed to be making quite the effort not to laugh out loud at the display. Before Sirius could regain his sensibilities enough to retort however, the stream of conversation was broken by the entrance of Professor Slughorn and the Gryffindors had to quickly find seats surrounding Luna and the Slytherins.

Hermione was quick to realize that not much had been altered to Slughorn's curriculum from this era to the time she had taken his class in the future. They were asked to identify the same potions and then attempt to make the Draught of Living Death whereupon the most successful student would be given a vile of Felix Felicis. Hermione was not quick to raise her hand like she was as a young girl but Slughorn still saw fit to call on her and her friends in an attempt to gauge the new transfer students' abilities.

He asked Pansy about the first potion to which he received the answer, "It's Veritaserum. It makes whoever drinks it tell the truth."

"Very good my dear girl and now Miss Durant if you would be so kind as to identify the next one?" Slughorn fished.

Hermione barely had to glance at the familiar potion before answering in what was sure to be a bored tone.

"Polyjuice Potion. Transforms the drinker into whatever form supplies the final ingredient: human hair."

"Excellent! Textbook even! Now Miss Summerbee, why don't you finish the job?"

Luna smiled serenely before answering in a distant voice, "This potion is called Amortentia. It is the most powerful love potion in the world. But don't be mistaken; it does not manufacture love, as that is impossible, it merely creates obsession and infatuation. It is a dangerous potion for those very reasons."

Slughorm genuinely beamed at Luna and exclaimed, "After an answer like that, there is no need for me to even elaborate further. Let us move on to the main event!"

After explaining about Felix Felicis, they all spread out to work on their potions separately. Predictably, Hermione and Lily's potions were extremely well made, but none could compare to Luna and Severus's flawless brews. It was difficult to decide on a winner but in the end Slughorn decided that Luna's was slightly better and bequeathed her the prize.

Severus, for his part, seemed to be stunned senseless by what had happened. He had expected the daft looking girl to be sub par at potions considering her strange nature, and yet here she was beating him out for top of the class. Just what sort of alternate universe had he stumbled into? He _always_ got the best grades in potions. It was his thing. Was it even possible that this weird girl could be a potions prodigy much like himself? He almost felt like he had misjudged her, which left an awfully bad taste in his mouth. Severus Snape hated being wrong. Thinking gravely of the last time he had been wrong, he decided to make a point of talking to her to make up for it.

As Luna graciously accepted Slughorn's prize, Snape made his first attempt at addressing her of his own free will.

"I'm impressed Summerbee. Have you always been that good at potions?"

Luna smiled serenely at him, delighted that she had gotten praise from her former potions professor.

"No, no Severus. You must call me Luna. I do appreciate you're compliment however. I've always enjoyed making potions very much as I find it a brilliant means to an end. If you like, we could share methods and secrets sometime," Luna said serenely.

Severus had not expected her to reply so warmly but he'd be daft to turn down the opportunity to discuss potion making with some one who actually met his standards.

"That would be… nice."


	9. Chapter 9

Things were going quite well if Hermione did say so herself. As she had suspected would be the case, Luna was making remarkable headway with Snape; it was becoming a common occurrence to see them huddled together somewhere talking about some potion or another. Lily seemed to be on her way to forgiving Severus with a little encouragement from her new muggle-born Slytherin friend.

"But Hermione he called me a _mudblood_," Lily had finally confessed to Hermione in hushed tones one day after bumping into each other in the halls and chatting for a bit about their friends with one another.

Hermione snorted much to Lily's surprise and replied, "it's just a word Lily, one that you and I didn't even know the existence of before entering the wizarding world. You shouldn't let it get to you in any situation, let alone one where you're almost certain the person didn't even mean what he was saying. He was just feeling humiliated and spouted off a term he'd been hearing all the time within his house without really thinking about it. And he has apologized right?"

Lily was speechless. When Hermione laid it out like that, her grudge did seem a little childish. And Sev had apologized profusely whenever he got the chance since then. Lily knew she had some serious thinking to do.

"You really think she might forgive me?" Severus asked Hermione upon hearing the news of Lily's wavering resolve.

"I really do. Just give her a little time to work things out in her head then apologize again to her. Tell her honestly how you feel and I have a feeling things will work out just fine," Hermione stated in matter of fact manner.

"Do you love her Severus?" Pansy suddenly asked cutting a sidelong glance to the Gryffindor table where Luna was sitting.

"Like she was my own sister," Snape answered as if it were obvious, "she's the only family I've ever truly cared about."

Pansy looked surprised by his answer but Hermione nodded knowingly. She had been suspecting this for a while.

"Awwww,' Hermione intoned for effect, "That is just so sweet. Now, how do you feel about our Luna?"

Severus's instant blush did nothing to help his case. "I find her take on potion making to be intellectually stimulating. Nothing more."

Hermione raised an eyebrow at that but let the matter drop.

Progress was happening in a more substantial way as well. The girls had already set a date to fight the basilisk for the first Hogmeade visit. This was crucial if the girls wanted to have a safe and easy way of destroying the horcruxes. Fiendfyre was just too magically exhausting to be using repeatedly.

"You know, it's nice that'll I'll be able to fight the basilisk this time around. Last time I was laid out in a hospital bed petrified while Harry and Ron had all the fun,' Hermione huffed.

Pansy rolled her eyes at the blasé statement, having heard all of Hermione's Ron and Harry stories before. Hermione had a sick sense of humor sometimes; implying that battling a basilisk at the age of twelve was any sort of fun.

"It should be quite an interesting experience for all of us," Luna put in happily as they approached Moaning Myrtle's bathroom. "I should be able to get some valuable ingredients for potion making from the carcass."

Pansy scrunched her nose. Something about Luna using the word carcass was off-putting. "You think you'll be able to open it Hermione?"

"I've done it before with Ronald. I remember the Parseltongue for open," Hermione informed her lightly.

True to her word, Hermione opened the sink door without issue and the three hovered themselves lightly into the chamber.

It was after the second door that things got a bit trickier. The witches had to keep their eyes shut from this point on so as not to drop dead upon meeting the basilisk's gaze. They'd trained fighting blind before though and were therefore not at all worried about the outcome of their venture.

At that moment a soft hissing noise was heard to their right and before anyone could even react Luna, of all people, had sliced the creature's head clean of its body with a powerful swing of her wand.

"Lun—a," Hermione, taking in the bloody scene before her, whined, "That's cheating! You can't just use you're super power to sense where the thing is and take all the fun out of it. I was really looking forward to this!"

Luna smiled unapologetically, "I was under the impression that we were trying to accomplish the task as quickly as possible. I would have waited on you if I'd known you needed more time."

"My, my look who discovered her cheek all of the sudden. That's it! No more basilisk hunting for you. The next one is definitely mine," Hermione said deftly.

Pansy grinned at her friends' antics before looking back to the basilisk in disgust. "I don't know about you, but that thing does not look sanitary."

"Afraid of dirt are we Pans?" Hermione asked laughingly.

Pansy grimaced and said, "only the dirty kind."

After the warriors made quick work of the basilisk, their next course of action was naturally to destroy the horcrux that was the only one near by but also the easiest to acquire. Since Luna destroyed the beast with startlingly speed, the girls decided that they should still have time to pop over to the Room of Requirement before most of the student body returned to Hogwarts. The seventh floor hallway was predictably deserted when the girls arrived and Hermione was quick to open the room of hidden things.

"It should be right over here," Hermione said lightly as she lead the two who had not been there the last time in the direction of the diadem.

"Not a bad piece," Pansy said upon their arrival before Ravenclaw's head piece, "other than the tangible evil emanating from it, I'd say it's quite lovely."

Hermione rolled her eyes. "Yes, it's just so hard to find jewelry these days that isn't infested with the evil soul of a dark wizard."

Luna looked upon the diadem gravely. "I can hear it screaming. Please, let's put it to rest quickly. I can hardly bear it."

Hermione and Pansy sobered immediately at their friend's distress. They had forgotten how sensitive Luna was to the souls of creatures, even detached souls.

Hermione took the lead as usual, deftly grasping a basilisk tooth in one hand as she inched closer to the diadem. The horcrux began to shiver upon sensing the danger but before it could even try to convince her otherwise, Hermione plunged the tooth into the center of the diadem, whereupon it screamed audibly and began to smoke in protest. The girls watched as the horcrux slowly fizzled out and the diadem once again became merely an object, albeit an object with a basilisk tooth jammed through the middle of it.

"That wasn't nearly as bad as I thought it would be," Pansy piped up curiously.

"We didn't give it much time to sniff out our fears," Hermione replied simply.

"Let's go out to the grounds to plan some more then. I rather fancy sitting outside under a good tree today," Luna suddenly suggested.


End file.
